On the Twelfth Day
by Rae1
Summary: Complete. Shounen-ai. 2x5x2 Gifts are meant to be shared. A year too late, Duo finds a present he never gave and laments his own folly. Now someone is sending him gifts in line with an ancient carol.
1. Prologue: 2240 Words

**Title:**   
On the Twelfth Day 

**Author:**  
Rae 

**Fandom:**   
Gundam Wing 

**Summary:**   
Gifts are meant to be shared. A year too late, Duo finds a present he never gave and laments his own folly. Now someone is sending him gifts in line with an ancient carol. 

**Warning:**   
shounen-ai. Some silly OOC-ness, which I refuse to explain. Take it as the spirit of the season, when you get there. 

_____*****_____

_December 18th_

Quatre stilled as he heard the soft sound of someone humming. He instinctively tried to place the tune, but the sound was cut short suddenly, before he could fully recognize the familiar pattern of notes. Curious, he continued toward the office where the humming had emanated. He had been heading to that office anyway and it was a simple matter of crossing the last few meters which separated him from his destination and peer around the door. The plaque outside the door simply read, "Maxwell."

He hadn't been surprised to hear the humming coming from Duo's small office. However, he was mildly surprised to hear cursing fill the silence left behind when Duo abruptly stopped. "Damn it." Duo's deep baritone held a wealth of frustration, and Quatre coughed lightly and waited until violet eyes met his before offering to help in whatever matter was vexing his friend.

"May I offer my assistance, Duo?" The blond smiled, head tilting to the side as he waited patiently for a response. His answer came in a smallish box sailing towards his head. He caught it deftly in both hands but didn't spare the box more than a glance. It was a battered gift; the wrapping paper was shredded in places and there was a dent in one side. "I do believe it's a little too soon for Christmas gifts," he said good-naturedly.

Duo huffed and offered a tight smile in response, his face and eyes lacking the usual vibrancy that seemed to make him glow. "Actually, it's entirely too LATE to be giving it. But, sorry to say, Q, it's not for you."

"Ah." As brief as Duo's words had been, Quatre could see the meaning which lay behind them. "From last year?" he asked gently, knowingly. Duo's frustration melted away and he leaned back heavily in his chair. 

"Yeah." The single word was infused with equal amounts disgust, aimed at himself, and defeat. "It's no wonder, you know?" Duo leaned his head back in his chair, closed his eyes, and let out a deep breath. "Guess where I found it?"

Quatre looked again at the box, turning it this way and that as he studied it. "I would hazard a guess and hope you are not offended when I say it looks to have been picked out of the trash."

One eye cracked open, revealing a hint of violet beneath the lid. "Very amusing, Q." Duo opened his other eye and held up his hand. Quatre obligingly tossed the box back to his friend. "It was in my bottom drawer, stuffed behind a box. And do you know how long it's been there?" 

The disgust had given way to self-directed anger and Quatre's answer was formed thoughtfully to pull Duo from his bad mood. "Since you put it there?" He made sure to keep his voice set at a tone of light teasing. Duo had already said it was from last year. Quatre briefly considered reminding him, but Duo was offering him a small grin in recognition of Quatre's attempt to lighten the mood.

"You are _so_ amusing today." He dropped the box on top of his desk, then kicked his legs up beside it. "It's been there for twelve months." Since Christmas, the box had waited in the back of Duo's drawer, just waiting to be given away. Quatre could sympathize with the emotions Duo was projecting.

"For whom was it meant?" Quatre asked, moving further into the room to perch on the corner of Duo's desk. Duo had the entire office to himself, and he had taken over the limited space. It was really little more than an enlarged closet. A desk sat along the back wall, and tucked tightly to the right side of it was a filing cabinet. There was barely enough room around the other side of the desk to walk between it and the wall. Where Quatre sat, he could touch the wall with his toe without straightening his knee completely. 

Duo's mumbled reply was lost to Quatre's ears as the braided teen ducked his head and suddenly seemed to find a spot on his desk very fascinating. Quatre frowned, them bit back on the wide smile which threatened at Duo's attempt to avoid answering the question aloud.

"I'm sorry, Duo, but I didn't hear you. Would you please repeat yourself?" He waited for the name to fall from Duo's lips again, and this time his frown was in confusion.

"Wufei."

That Duo bought them gifts the year prior was a given. Quatre still had the present his friend had given to him. The painting rested among the few material things Quatre placed some measure of value on.

The violet eyes which met his gaze showed a good deal of frustration, and several of the events of the past year, since the previous December to be exact, began to make more sense. Quatre bit his lip and Duo said nothing, having let his friend reach his own conclusion. The braided teen leaned back further, until his chair would have been in danger of toppling over, had there been room for such an event. The top of it touched lightly against the wall behind the desk.

"Duo," Quatre started, tone serious. He waited until he had Duo's full attention before going on. "Is it safe to assume that it was important last Christmas for Chang Wufei to receive this?"

"Yeah, that would be 'safe to assume,'" Duo replied. Quatre nodded and opened his mouth to ask his next question, but Duo seemed to read his mind and said, "Go ahead and open it. It's a little late now to give it to him." Which either meant the damage was done and Duo felt giving Wufei the late gift would do little to reconcile the situation between them, or he had purchased something else for this year already. The latter was more likely, since the situation had seemed to resolve itself by the end of February.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable opening a gift for someone else, even under the circumstances, Quatre unwrapped the box and lifted the small lid off. Inside was what looked to be a marble statue. Quatre carefully started to lift it out, but only half of the statue emerged. The other half, broken from the first, still lay on the cotton bedding. He looked up at Duo in time to see his expression finally shutter completely, blocking out the frustration he must have been feeling.

"I'm very sorry, Duo," Quatre said as he replaced the half he'd picked up. The words felt hollow, though, and he felt his own emotions take a serious dip in relation to Duo's mood.

"It's okay, Q. Not like it makes much of a difference, right?" Disappointment, Quatre finally realized. Duo was disappointed over finding the gift. What he said next cleared away the confusion lingering in Quatre's mind. "I was so sure I gave it to him. It kind of sucks to find it this late. I gave Wufei hell last year for being ungrateful, and it was really my fault." Guilt, then, too. Duo's emotions were spread wide along the scale and Quatre was having a hard time distinguishing one from the other until one spiked higher than the rest.

Quatre knew another offer of sympathy from him was not what Duo wanted or needed. What was required in the situation was a remedy to the problem which had revealed itself. Duo and Wufei had been fighting because Duo had gotten upset over Wufei's lack of acknowledgement. For twelve months, he had blamed the Chinese teen and now he found it had truly been through his own fault that their relationship had gone through a rough spot at the beginning of the year. Quatre could well remember the stilted conversations which had followed the holiday season and the complete lack of any form of communication which had taken them into the New Year. 

However, for the past several months things had been smooth between them and they were on what Quatre considered 'friendly' terms. Wufei wasn't an easy man to befriend, but those people he did consider friends were treated to more respect and patience than others. Now that Christmas was close again, Quatre could see how Duo's mood would crumble upon finding he was to blame for whatever altercation had occurred the year before. An apology would be difficult enough, given his rather stubborn nature, but then to produce only a broken statue as evidence the mistake was honest... it was a difficulty Quatre did not envy.

"I was hoping we could start fresh this year, but-" Duo broke off, kicked his feet off the desk, and stood up. He took the box from Quatre's hand and let it drop heavily into the waste basket, the marble statue breaking further upon impact. Quatre winced, both at the gesture and at the hum of displeasure wafting from Duo in waves.

"Why can you not?" Quatre asked, refusing to allow his own mood to be dampened by Duo's for anything but a few short moments. They would find a way over the present situation; they always did. "Have you already purchased your gift for Wufei?"

"Not... really," Duo answered hesitantly. He sat back down in the chair, this time leaning forward in it so his elbows rested on the desk and his chin rested on his steepled fingers. "I bought him a book." He looked kind of embarrassed by that, but Quatre thought it was a good gift idea and said as much. Duo shook his head. "I want to give him something more. Something that says-" There, again, he hesitated. However, there was no continuation. He closed his mouth and shifted his gaze away from Quatre, his mood becoming introspective and private.

Feeling it would be rude to pry, Quatre didn't ask Duo to continue, despite the curiosity stirring within him. All of the pieces before him made a complicated puzzle, but he was sure he could put them all into place if he simply found where the first one went.

*Wufei.* It all began and ended with their Chinese friend and coworker. Or more importantly, Quatre thought, the piece shifting on the table of his mind into its designated slot, the feelings Duo held for Chang Wufei. No one worried so much over a gift for a friend, not someone who was _just_ a friend. Quatre knew Duo wouldn't have had as much grief if the gift had been Trowa's, or even his own. It's intended recipient was more important than a friend or a comrade. Duo's concern was that which a man would express if he'd misplaced a gift meant for a would-be lover.

Quatre knelt down by the trashcan and picked up a piece of the statue. It was the head of the statue, and even broken Quatre could see the detail taken to create it, the great care infused in each sculpted line. The marble had held a story, one as carefully chosen as it had been woven into the surface. Even Quatre's gift, as lovely as it had been, failed to rival the item Duo had chosen for Wufei. The perfect gift to show care and affection towards the person Duo was interested in romantically. It was a gesture Wufei would have appreciated, had he received it. That, of course, was the crux.

There was little Quatre could do to ease the tumult of emotions inside of Duo. He could encourage Duo to explain what had happened to Wufei. Quatre knew Wufei would believe Duo, since he knew the Chinese man was aware of Duo's honorable nature when it came to lying. However, that course of action must have already presented itself to Duo's mind and been rejected.

When he rose, Quatre met Duo's gaze and he offered his friend a small, understanding smile. "You haven't told him you love him yet." Surprise flashed through Duo's violet orbs before being replaced with embarrassed affection. "Why?"

"Because I haven't?" The evasion only made Quatre raise his eyebrow, and Duo's lips curled upwards with amusement. "I don't really know how. Wufei's got his cultural issues and everything I've looked up only confuses me further. It's not really as easy as walking up to him and saying, "Wufei, you and I should get it on." You know?"

Quatre raised a hand to his lips and stifled the grin that threatened. It _was_ that simple. Wufei had 'issues,' yes, but Wufei wasn't foolish enough to let the clash of culture interfere with something important. With a sudden curiosity about Wufei's feelings on the matter, at least as far as the present relationship with Duo, Quatre started towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Duo asked, sounding worried. 

The blond turned and smiled. "I _was_ working, you know. There is a matter I need to look into." The suspicion faded from Duo's expression and Quatre congratulated himself on the misdirection. Both statements were true, if unrelated, but Duo was not the only one capable of being dishonest without lying. At the door, Quatre paused and turned, his smile controlled through practiced force. "The song you were singing earlier... it was "The Twelve Days of Christmas," wasn't it?"

Duo shrugged. "Yeah. Why?"

Quatre turned before a grin could force its way past his will. His voice was casual as he answered over his shoulder, "Just curious."


	2. Part One: 3013 Words

**

Author's Note:

** I've only had the very first section of this story (Prologue: December 18th) betaed and revised. I ran out of time to do the rest of it, but I will revise it later. Thank you for reading. 

_____*****_____

_December 25th_

"The hell--?" Duo muttered, staring down at the piece of fruit on his porch. He looked up and down the sidewalk, but didn't see anyone standing around suspiciously. After a moment, he leaned over and picked the pear up, his eyes looking for places where a bomb could have been stuck inside of it. 

There was no bomb, but there was a tag attached to the bottom of it. "Sorry, but the partridge got away", was written in decorative calligraphy, leaving no clue by way of handwriting. Duo grinned, took one more look up and down the street, and then stepped back inside his apartment building.

_____*****_____

"I'm telling you, someone has an odd sense of humor," Duo grumbled, kicking his legs up and resting them on Wufei's desk. He was careful not to knock over the mug of hot cocoa -- someone kept dumping out all the coffee in the office coffeemaker and replacing it with the sugary concoction -- on the surface of the desk.

"I thought _you_ were the joker?" Wufei asked, ignoring the feet. It wasn't worth Wufei's time to hound him. Pointing out that the floor, and not Wufei's desk, was the place for feet had never worked in the past. He doubted it would work anytime in the near future.

"So did I," Duo said, sounding only amused by having his title displaced. "I tell you, if the pear wasn't odd enough, the dang note would have got me. Know what it reminds me of?"

"Not a clue, Maxwell," Wufei said shaking his head as he perched on the corner of his own desk.

"'The Twelve Days of Christmas'. Freaky holiday song. I tell you, if I end up with twelve people banging on drums in twelve days, someone's going to have hell to pay."

"Understandable. I doubt your neighbors would appreciate the gesture. Especially given where you live," he pointed out, referring to the barrack-like apartment building in which they both lived.

"Some weirdo is leaving fruit on my doorstep, and you're worried about them waking _you_ up, aren't you?" Duo gingerly picked up the mug of cocoa, sniffed it, and then took a small sip. "You know what, Wu? I'm really surprised you're not in line to find the guy who keeps hijacking the coffee."

"It's something to drink," Wufei returned calmly, reaching over to pull his mug out of Duo's reach. He was unfazed by the sudden shift in topic, as Duo tended to switch from one subject to another quite frequently. "You don't seem to mind it, either."

Duo grinned at him. "Wufei, my friend, I just like drinking from your mug. You can give it to me for Christmas."

"Duo, my friend," Wufei returned. "If I gave you my mug for Christmas, you would drink from the replacement and tell me you liked it better because it was new."

"Actually, I'd just use it because it was yours," Duo contradicted, putting his feet down, standing, and moving towards the door. "I have to get back to work. You should, too, Wufei. You really shouldn't sit around on your desk doing nothing all day."

Wufei rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Aren't you forgetting something?" He gestured to the pear still sitting on the desk where Duo had set it when he'd first come in. 

Duo turned and looked at him from the threshhold, violet eyes glinting with mirth. "Keep it. Merry Christmas, 'Fei." And then he was gone, and Wufei was left with a pear to replace the cocoa he'd walked down three hallways to get.

"Thanks, Duo," he said to his empty office. He was smiling, though. He walked around his desk to take his seat. The smile stayed in place as he absently brushed dirt from the desk calendar which covered the surface of his desk. He left the desk suitably cleaned off and picked the pear up gently. After rubbing away a nonexistent spot, he brought it to his mouth and bit into it

He was surprised to have Duo return shortly, a wrapped package in his hand. "Would you believe I almost forgot it was Christmas?" There was a hint of uncertainty in his gaze as he stepped forward to put the gift on Wufei's desk. Wufei put the half-eaten pear down and looked at Duo.

"For me?" He hadn't expected a gift. As far as Wufei had known, Duo hadn't bought a present for anyone, even though he had the year before. They normally exchanged gifts on the same day, but Wufei had received a gift from Winner two days before and another from Barton on the 24th. Duo's gift was right on time. "Thank you," he said softly, carefully picking up the object. It wasn't that heavy and Duo seemed almost anxious as he waited for it to be unwrapped. Instead of making him suffer and wait, Wufei carefully undid the ribbon and then peeled off the tape.

He looked at the gift he had received and smiled at the delicate trace of writing on the front of an old book. It was several decades old, at the least, possibly dating back to the early 120's if Wufei was correct about the style of the binding. "Do you like it?" Wufei looked up to see Duo leaning over his desk, unsure and hopeful.

"It is wonderful, Duo. Thank you." He looked back down, away from the sudden spark of warmth and happiness his approval put in Duo's eyes. He carefully opened the front cover and read the inscription. He closed the book again and set it carefully on the desk. He leaned back to put him farther away from Duo before meeting the brunet's gaze again. "I have nothing to offer you in return."

"It's okay, Wufei," Duo waved aside the apology as if it didn't matter. "Christmas is more my thing than yours, so it's okay. Just don't forget my birthday next year, okay?"

"It's a deal," Wufei assured him, returning the smile Duo sent his way.

"And now I really do have to be getting back to work. I'll see you later, Chang." Duo was gone again, leaving with a wave and a flash of a grin.

Bemused, Wufei picked up the pear again to finish it off, his free hand gently tracing the cover of the book. 

_____*****_____

_December 26th_

Somehow, Wufei didn't expect Duo's anonymous giver to actually carry through with giving the braided teen a gift for every day of the twelve days of Christmas. He might have expected Duo to invade his office again if something had happened, but he most surely was _not_ expecting Duo to show up at his apartment before he'd even left for work that morning.

It started with a hard series of knocks on the door. Three, then one, then two. It wasn't a code, really, but Wufei was careful as he walked towards the door. A glance through the peephole showed a winter-wrapped Duo, still recognizable despite the layers of scarf, coat, and hat. Wufei opened the door.

"I'm really trying to be amused," Duo said first thing, not even giving Wufei a chance to greet him. A moment later, as a cage was presented to Wufei, he understood why. Covered as it was by a heavy velvet sheet, Wufei could still hazard a guess as to the contents.

"Doves?"

"Doves," Duo confirmed. He took a step forward, making Wufei take a step back to avoid being hit with the cage. He moved quickly out of the way and let Duo come in fully. The braided teen set the cage on the low end table in front of the couch and then turned to Wufei as he unwound the scarf from around his neck. His cheeks and nose were pink from the cold and Wufei frowned at the way Duo was dressed.

"Why were you outside?" It seemed a pertinent question, since Duo lived only three doors down.

Duo frowned as he undid the buttons on his coat. Wufei realized then that Duo's fingers were pink as well, and he moved towards the kitchenette to pour a cup of tea for his friend. When he turned to present it to Duo, who had shed the coat and scarf but kept the hat, Duo grinned at him gratefully. "I was working out this morning. Une wants me to stay a couple of hours later in the evening, at least through the New Year, so I don't have to go in quite as early. Problem is, I still get _up_ at the same time."

"Ah." Wufei nodded in understanding. "And the birds?" he asked as he refilled his own mug and then moved to stand in front of the cage.

"They were waiting for me when I got home," Duo answered. He stepped up beside Wufei, then bent down to pull the sheet up. As soon as light filtered through the gold bars, the doves started cooing softly, in a tired sort of manner that suggested they'd just been woken up. "No note this time, and still no clue who the kidder is. What do you think, Wufei? Someone madly in love with me and too shy to tell me?"

The words, teasing as they were, caused some of the mirth to drain from Wufei and he turned away from the cage. "I can't imagine someone would find this an appropriate way to show their affection, Duo."

Duo frowned and looked over his shoulder at Wufei, then back at the birds. "I don't know, Wufei. I think if it wasn't so creepy and secretive, it'd be kind of sweet."

Wufei snorted. "Kind of sweet to have a stranger giving you presents that are either terribly costly or stolen?"

"Oh, come on, Wufei!" Duo turned, letting some irritation ring through his voice. "People don't steal birds and cages to give away as Christmas presents." The comment about cost was not so easy to argue, though. They both knew that to find such lovely birds and their gilded cage, someone had put forth a hefty sum. And if the gifts were to continue in fashion, then the end amount would be large indeed.

"There are more important things to spend money on, Duo." He stopped and restated what he had said, hoping Duo didn't get offended by the way he'd phrased it the first time. "There are ways to show affection which are less costly and more effective, and causes to which that money would have been more beneficial."

That elicited a shrug as Duo replaced the sheet and stood back up. "True enough, I guess."

Wufei stood for a moment, surprised to see Duo moving towards the door without picking the cage up. "Where are you going now?"

Duo turned the knob and then grinned over his shoulder. "I have to get ready for work, of course. See you later, Wu-baby." He left before Wufei could stop him, leaving the Chinese teen with two doves -- turtle doves, if the giver was going for complete accuracy -- and an unnameable, burning feeling in his chest.

He wasn't jealous, no. Of course not. It was worry for his friend, caused by thinking of the kind of person who would consider a prank a good way to celebrate the holiday season. And of course it was only a prank. Who would send birds to a person like Duo in an attempt to woo him?

_____*****_____

December 27th

Duo was expecting more birds on the "third day of Christmas." It would have been in the pattern of the day before. Of course, being three days into twelve, there wasn't really a 'pattern,' a fact he would take into account when he did find his third gift of the season.

At seven in the morning two days after Christmas, he returned to his apartment after his work out, still bundled for the below-zero temperature outside and his trip to the Preventor facilities. At his door was a small cooler, probably no more than a square foot in area, and no taller than that. On the top of the white lid was a picture painted in red of three birds.

His training kicked in before he could open it and he had his coat shed in a matter of seconds as he squatted beside the container, hands cautiously hovering over the lid as he shifted around to look at it from every angle. It took him a minute to be satisfied that there was nothing on the outside which would signal a bomb. However, he was far from satisfied, as the inside of the container was more than big enough to hold enough explosive devices to decimate the block he was on, taking a large chuck of Preventor personnel with him and the buildings.

He heard a door down the hall open and turned his head to see Wufei standing there, apparently on his way to headquarters for his shift. "Hey, Wufei?" The dark head turned toward him. "I think we might have a problem."

_____*****_____

Three hours and an evacuation of three buildings later, Duo sat dumbfounded and mortified as he stared at the small Cornish hens they'd finally recovered from the cooler he'd found. Due to his 'scare' and the fact that it had been he and Wufei who had 'dismantled' the suspect package, he had earned himself and his friend the rest of the day off. "I suspect you'll need assistance disposing of that," Une had said seriously, giving nothing away in her expression. There had been a choked quality to her voice, however, which had spoken to Duo clearly of suppressed laughter.

Wufei had even seemed amused, even though he had spent the time with Duo trying to carefully open the cooler in case it exploded. He'd rolled his eyes and left with a quick, "Maxwell, you can finish this up yourself. Just remember the proper disposal methods."

They weren't French, of course, but a hen was a hen, he guessed. There were three, just as the carol went, but Duo was at a loss as to what to do with them. The obvious choice, of course, was to cook and eat them. Even at a pound apiece, there were too many for just Duo to eat, unless that was _all_ he wanted to eat. That would still be pushing it, though. It was a meal meant to share with someone. With a grin, Duo stood up and moved to the phone, calling the only person he could think of who might be able to tell him how to cook the damned fowl. 

The doves Wufei had forced him to take back the evening before cooed softly in their cage as he listened to the phone ring through.

_____*****_____

Wufei was comfortably relaxed, reading in his favorite, and only, chair when someone knocked on the door. He finished his paragraph, noted the page number, and set the novel aside as he rose. By the time he was five feet from the door, the person on the other side knocked again. The sound was off a little and Wufei frowned just on the other side of the door, hand raised to the knob as he waited. When the sound came again, he realized the difference in sound came from the fact that his visitor was kicking the door with his foot instead of knocking with his hand. Recognizing the sound, he opened the door to see Duo on the other side, as he had half-expected.

"Hey, Wu," the odd note of uncertainty in Duo's voice was most likely due, Wufei noted, to the fact his friend carried a small roasting pan in his hands, purple potholders between his hands and the hot metal. "Can I come in?"

Despite his misgivings, Wufei stepped back and let Duo enter. The braided teen moved to the small table set beneath Wufei's window. He juggled the pan for a moment until he was holding it in one hand. That allowed him to put the freed potholder on the table, and then he very carefully put the pan down on it. A little of the roasting juices spilled onto the table, but he managed the feat rather nicely with only one hand.

Knowing resistance was futile, at least since the situation involved Duo, Wufei moved to retrieve silverware from the kitchenette. "Is there a reason you're gracing me with your present?" he asked as he fetched flatware from a cupboard.

There was a sudden lack of sound behind him, and he could guess the question had frozen Duo in his tracks. Then noise resumed in the form of Duo's footsteps coming closer. Wufei turned and passed the plates, forks, and knives to Duo. Duo's face was creased in a grin as he took the items offered. "Who better to share it with, Wufei?" he said finally, answering Wufei's question and yet not answering it at all.

Wufei let it go with a nod as he turned back to poor a cup of tea for both of them before moving to join Duo at his little table. Duo served them both, setting a small hen on each of their plates, before surrounding it with some of the cooking juices, and then adding a few of the vegetables he'd roasted with the hens. Wufei wielded his silverware carefully, out of practice and never fully comfortable with the utensils after a life spent using chopsticks. With a bite halfway to his mouth, Wufei paused, realizing Duo was staring at him.

"Thanks, Wu," the simple words were infused with a depth of gratitude Wufei couldn't readily find a cause for. It could have been gratitude for helping with the cooler earlier, or for not making a bigger deal out of the situation than he already had. It could have been for opening the door. Not entirely sure what he was being thanked for, he smiled back, leaving the mystery aside at the moment.

He would enjoy Duo's pleasant company and the meal his friend had deigned to share. "Thank _you_, Duo."


	3. Part Two: 3369 Words

_December 28th_

Wufei was slightly distressed by noon on the 'fourth day of Christmas.' The surface of his desk was taken over by the clock Duo had so 'graciously' brought by earlier that morning. The sounds from within the wooden casing were annoying him. It was a medium-sized, antique clock with birds delicately carved into the wood. It was a beautiful piece of work Wufei would have appreciated more had Duo not left it to tick away each second loudly on Wufei's desk.

There was no escape, since Duo had left on a mission and locked his office door securely -- to prevent Wufei from returning the gift, he was sure. Instead, Wufei headed out into the office proper and took his time to make sure his reports were filed properly, all copies he needed made and given to the right people for review. 

It didn't work to calm his nerves, however, because the most common carol he heard, the one which seemed to have taken over every Preventor agent on his floor, was nothing less than "The Twelve Days of Christmas." It was unnerving, the timing of the gifts and the caroling in the office, but Wufei failed to see how it could have been orchestrated so precisely, as for him to turn a corner and hear yet another person beginning or ending the carol.

Between the singing and the ticking clock in his office, Wufei knew it was going to be a long day, indeed. Christmas was over with, but there were still eight more days to suffer through, if Duo's admirer were so truly stubborn as to hold to the twelve days about which the carol sung.

_____*****_____

_December 29th_

Duo was grateful there were no birds involved in the fifth day of Christmas. He was a little confused by the gift he received, though. He had expected five plain gold rings. What he got instead were signet rings not meant for him to wear. There was a flat area on each seven millimeter band had been etched a two digits: "O1;" "02;" "03;" "04;" or "05; and above the numbers, a single small stone was set into the gundanium.

Above the number on the ring marked '02' was a black opal. The color and number of Duo's long-destroyed gundam. The '05,' he noticed, was below an emerald. _Shenlong_. It only took him a few seconds to work the puzzle out fully, and when he did, he grinned. The most important symbolism for the number five in his entire life, and his anonymous giver had managed to find out exactly what would touch him most.

For the number five, the one thing which stuck out in his mind was the five of them during the war. Even though those days were behind them, they were never truly far from his mind. It was difficult to escape their past, since they worked together at Preventor HQ. Trowa lived a few halls away, Heero a few floors down. Only Quatre had avoided the barracks, and that was only because his work with the Preventors was sporadic. He was too busy elsewhere, overseeing his father's legacy and the various tasks delegated to the heir of the Winner family.

Duo knew what to do with the rings. During the holidays, things were best when shared. He'd have to have them checked out for tracking devices, but after that, it would be safe to pass the gift along to his friends. They were handsome rings, with the band being wide enough to avoid looking feminine, but still not too wide as to be obstructive to any work they had to do with their hands.

Curious, Duo slipped the one with the black opal on his finger. It only made it to his second knuckle before becoming too tight, and he frowned. Disappointed, he pulled the ring back off and sat it down inside the box the others had come in. With a roll of his eyes to mock his own insatiable curiosity, he picked up the ring with the emerald, the one he would give to Wufei, and put it on. To his surprise, it fit his finger perfectly. He started to slip it off, but a burst of intuition stopped him.

The person sending him gifts knew him well enough to know Wufei and the other pilots. If that person spent any time around him at all, and it seemed likely, if he was getting gifts, then the person -must- have known his hands were bigger than Wufei's, his fingers thicker. As inspiration struck, he grabbed the rings with numbers '02' and '05' and headed out the door. The hall was a little chilly after the warmth of his apartment and he made quick strides to the door three down from his apartment. He knocked quickly, a ring in either hand. The door opened relatively quickly and Wufei looked at Duo expectantly.

"I should probably be worried by my own apparent curiosity," Wufei said softly, stepping aside to let Duo in. Duo took the invitation, brain catching on to Wufei's words only after the chinese teen had finished what he was saying. "However, I am rather looking forward to seeing what gift you were given today."

Duo turned and grinned and held out his left hand. "Do me a favor and try this on, hm?" It was the ring with the emerald. Wufei took it careful, one eyebrow raised to indicate the question he didn't voice. He looked at it for a moment, recognizing the metal and the number. His eyes met Duo's as he slipped the ring onto his right hand. It looked to Duo like it might fit, but then Wufei frowned. "It's too big, isn't it?" Duo asked, unable to contain his excitement.

Wufei's confusion grew as he took the ring off and offered it back to Duo. "Yes. By about a size." Which meant it would fit Duo just fine.

"Great!" Duo took the ring back and started to head out the door Wufei hadn't shut yet, but the other young man stopped him, a hand on his arm.

"Duo?" There was a wealth of emotion in his voice and Duo looked over his shoulder into dark eyes. "Thank you for trying to share," Wufei finally said, after silence had held them frozen for several moments.

Duo's grin softened. "The season's not over, Wu. There's lots more to share with you."

_____*****_____

When Duo knocked on the door to Quatre's penthouse apartment, his current home for lack of a Winner mansion or a finer place to reside, Quatre himself answered. "Just the man I wanted to see," Duo said, shoving the gilded cage of the doves against Quatre's chest.

"Hello, Duo," Quatre returned pleasantly, ever the gracious host. He took the cage gingerly and waved Duo inside. "Please come in and have a seat."

Duo entered, but made it no more than a meter inside before turning to point an accusing finger at Quatre. The move brought the blond, who had been walking behind Duo, to stop short with a frown. "I know what game you're playing, Q. What gives?"

Quatre gently pushed Duo's hand down, until his finger was pointing at the ground. He didn't try to deny it, though. "It's Christmas, Duo."

"Christmas was four days ago," Duo said, sounding slightly exasperated. He let his arm drop. "Why are you sending me all those gifts?"

The blond sighed and moved past Duo. "I was rather hoping you wouldn't discover my duplicity. I am sorry, Duo."

"For what?" Duo hadn't quite been expecting an admission of guilt, not so easily. He had expected Quatre to somehow avoid the question or to even deny it altogether.

"I had not wanted you to find out I was behind the gifts. I was hoping you would simply do as you have done, share the gifts with Wufei. By the end of the twelve days, if you hadn't figured out what you were supposed to do, I would let you know of my involvement and my reasons for it." The explanation, as it was, made sense to Duo, but it raised more questions.

"What I was 'supposed to do?'" he repeated questioningly. Then the answer partially supplied itself with the rest of what Quatre had said. "You wanted me to share it all with Wufei?"

Quatre turned and smiled. "Of course. He's your 'true love,' yes? It seemed likely to me you would share the gifts with Wufei, as he lives so close to you. They would just be an excuse to see him, yes?"

Duo gaped for a moment before laughing. "You are a genius, Quatre." He walked forward and braced his friend suddenly, arms closing tight around the smaller teen. Even given the growth spurts of the last few years, Quatre was small in build. A deeper tone of voice was his only gift of age, it seemed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Quatre returned the hug without even a moment's hesitation. He pushed up to the balls of his feet, bringing his heels off the floor, and rested his chin on Duo's shoulder. "You deserve to be happy with him, Duo."

Duo's arms tightened. "You deserve to be happy, too, you know."

"One thing at a time," Quatre turned as he finally pulled back, pushing away from Duo until they stood an arm's length apart. "First, I would like you to take the rest of the gifts." He shook his head as Duo opened his mouth to voice disagreement. "You have a true love to woo, Duo. Take the gifts I'm going to give you now and do what you have been doing. The next two days are already set up and you can't get out of them anyway."

"Yes, Quatre," Duo conceded. He grinned. "You're kind of cute when you're bossy, you know that?"

Quatre sighed and shook his head in mock exasperation. "You're kind of cute when you're a smart-ass, you know that?"

Duo only laughed. He held out his hand, palm up, and revealed the ring he'd brought with him. The digits "04" were etched below a citrine. "Yours, I presume?"

The blond took the ring and slipped it onto his right hand. It fit perfectly on his ring finger, the gold stone winking in the light of the overhead light. "Thank you."

"Do they all fit?"

Quatre smiled and looked at him through his lashes. "They all fit the person who is meant to wear them."

That earned another laugh from Duo. "So, tell me what else you've got planned for me to woo Wu with."

_____*****_____

_December 30th_

The sixth day of Christmas happened to coincide with Relena's "small, post-Christmas celebration." As in years past Christmas had a tendency to turn out bad, the Vice Foreign Minister had wanted to wait to celebrate, in case of any eventualities that might prevent them from having a party on Christmas or Christmas Eve. Why she chose to have it after Christmas and not sometime in the week before was beyond Duo. 

Une had made a deal with Relena that woud ensure the attendance of all invited partiese. If any of the former pilots had wanted to miss -- Heero, for example -- they would not be able to, whether out of respect to Relena or because Une assigned them a duty which required their presence there. Duo and Quatre went to pay their respects to their hostess. Trowa went as Dorothy's date, an occurrence that surprised no one who had witnessed them becoming friends in the previous year and a half. Wufei came out of his own sense duty, because it would have been rude to refuse the invite. Heero showed up, but was on 'active duty' after having been assigned security detail by Une.

There were more people than just them, however. There were several diplomats from the colonies, and from the Earth Sphere United Nations, as well. Added to that the significant others of all the attendees, whether husbands and wives, or simply 'dates,' and the total guest list numbered some four hundred people. That was her 'small' party of the season. The following night, Relena would be the hostess of a large New Year's Eve gala event where the diplomats and their families, spouses and children included, were invited to attend.

Duo had actually intended to spend the day of the party investigating into who could possibly be leaving him gifts, but his discovery of Quatre being behind it all left him free to prepare for the party. His hair had been washed and braided carefully before being tied with a black tie. His tuxedo was all black, except for the white dress shirt and the silver cufflinks Quatre had given to him that year for Christmas. His shoes had been polished until they shone and his bowtie was actually real, not a simple clip on.

He owed a good deal of his appearance to Wufei, who had helped him pick the outfit out several months before. Duo had used the excuse of their 'mending friendship' to drag Wufei through different shops to prepare for a party that wouldn't happen for several months, to find the right outfit no one would probably notice. It had actually been a perfect day.

Their efforts had paid off, too. For not only did Duo look quite handsome in his tux, he knew Wufei looked stunning in the outfit they had finally settled on for him. It was going to be a lovely party indeed. With a secretive smirk, he straightened his bowtie, Duo left the room he'd been given for the night.

_____*****_____

Wufei had spent the first part of the thirtieth finishing paperwork. The rest of it was spent either in transit getting to Relena's party, or in one of the spare rooms she'd set aside for long distance guests to get ready. Now he was dressed and something less than eager to join the other party-goers.

Someone knocked on the door of the room and he spun as the knob turned and the door began to open. He relaxed when he saw who it was. "Good evening, Duo," he said in greeting.

"Hey, Wufei," Duo said, shutting the door and coming further into the room. "You ready for this shindig?"

"As ready as I could possibly be," Wufei answered. In truth, he didn't feel ready at all to face hundreds of people and to stand amidst the chatter and noise for hour after hour.

"Your bowtie's crooked," Duo said, stepping closer. He reached his hands up to straighten the material, and then he smoothed out the collar on either side. "Looking good, Wufei." They were standing close together, close enough that when Duo raised his eyes from the area of Wufei's neck, they were only a few inches apart.

"You look handsome as well," Wufei returned the compliment as he held Duo's gaze. He refused to betray his sudden nervousness at their closeness by retreating a step, even though he really wished to put more distance between them. He was saved by Duo stepping back.

"Time to get going, right? People to meet, food to eat, a hostess to bother..." he smiled as he said it, a crook of his lips that spoke of amusement. It was small, however. His usual energy had been toned down, contained somehow. Wufei could only imagine he had tuned it into something else. Even when Duo tried to radiate calm, he tended to vibrate with repressed energy, but there was a true sense of stillness about him at that moment.

Wufei murmured his agreement that they should get going, and they moved out the door together, Wufei's eyes trained on Duo's back as he followed his friend a few paces behind. There was something different about Duo, something which could only have been changed in twenty-four hours. He wondered if it had anything to do with the sixth gift.

He found out soon enough as they entered the foyer and were directed into the large dining hall with the rest of the guests. The room was very large and set up with long rows of rectangular tables. At one side of the room, set up for the purpose of presentation only, or so Wufei figured, were six cooked geese, the traditional holiday dinner in Sanq. Wufei stared for a moment at the six birds. "Six geese a'laying," he murmured softly. On the trays around the geese, eggs which had been hard boiled and dyed either red or green made rings. Garnish and bird were the sixth day. "How?" Wufei asked, looking at Duo as if the brunet would know.

Duo shrugged. "Where there's a will there's a way, right? We're not at home to go about it the normal way, I guess. Can't say either one of us was looking forward to six geese taking up space in the living room." He grinned as he said the last part, laughter threading through his voice.

Wufei nodded, conceding that point. He finally managed to pull his eyes away from the set-up as they reached their table and sat down next to each other. Across from them, Quatre and Trowa were already seated. Quatre was across from Duo and on Trowa's right, with Trowa seated across from Wufei. On Trowa's left side sat Dorothy, his 'date' for the evening. Despite arriving together, the two hardly spoke as servers came and placed the first course in front of them. Most often, if Duo wasn't including all five of them in a conversation, the only conversation was Quatre speaking to Trowa, though occasionally Wufei would join in on a topic. Dorothy spent most of the meal speaking with the man to her right, a politician from L3.

After the eight course meal, which took a couple of hours, the guests were finally allowed to get up and move into the ballroom, where dancing and more talking awaited. Duo was quick to grab Quatre as they left the dining hall, and so Wufei entered the ballroom with Trowa. Dorothy had gone on ahead with the politician she'd been chatting with before.

"Did she ask you to escort her?" Wufei asked, in line with the comment Trowa had just made about Dorothy joining them later. Trowa nodded as they moved to the side of the room to watch. They could see Heero by the punch table, eyeing the crowd and looking generally detached from the entire scene. Occasionally his lips would move as he spoke into the mic placed conspicuously in his lapel. He had made no real effort to fit into the crowd other than his tuxedo.

"We agreed neither of us felt like coming alone," Trowa replied softly. His eyes scanned the crowd until they eventually came to rest on where Duo and Quatre were talking in a corner. Duo was waving his hands excitedly over something while Quatre smiled at him. Wufei's gaze followed Trowa's and he smiled at the sight. After a moment, Duo embraced Quatre quickly in a hug, then released him and started in Heero's direction, leaving a bemused Quatre behind.

Wufei wanted to ask Trowa's opinion about the current situation and Duo's secret admirer. As much as Wufei hated the clichéd words, they were the best he could come up with for Duo's anonymous giver. At least, the best he could come up with that weren't entirely insulting. The entire situation made him angry. He had tried to deny the jealousy rising in him, but Duo's cheer the day before, and his apparent delight over the geese tonight, going so far as to point them out to Quatre happily at dinner, made the ache worse.

He was jealous of the person and envious of the happiness a stranger could bring to Duo. Neither were emotions he cared to have to deal with, but there was little he could do. Even should they discover the person behind the gifts, it would be up to Duo as to how to react. Wufei had no jurisdiction in Duo's love life.

Trowa would be able to offer an objective view of the situation, but Wufei bit back the question with the realization that gossiping about Duo's love life was also not his place.


	4. Part Three: 4012 Words

_December 31st_

"I don't know which was more fun. The party or the mission." Duo's voice was thick with sarcasm, a tone Wufei had been ignoring for five minutes. The comment, however, managed to gain his attention.

"You didn't like the party?" he asked.

Duo made a face as they stumbled up the last flight of stairs to their floor. The elevator had been out, a fact they had been unhappy to see but were able to do nothing about. "The party wasn't so bad, it was just all the food at dinner."

"You didn't like it?" Now there was definite surprise laced with the fatigue in Wufei's voice. At least Duo knew he had his full attention now.

"Um. No?" Duo pushed open the stairwell door at their landing. "There were eight plates of food put in front of me, Wufei. I wasn't even going to try to eat all of them. I had a couple of bites from the first two, didn't touch the green stuff they served on the third plate or the odd fish-like thing they had on the fourth. I had some more off the last two, but the middle plates were all too weird for me. I figure it had to be one of those plates all the rich folks like." He smiled slightly at the joke. There was an odd note in his voice, as if he felt awkward making the comparison of his own background to all of those 'rich folks.' 

"I tried everything," Wufei admitted. At Duo's odd grimace that looked half surprised and half disgusted, he explained, "It's rude not to at least attempt to eat the fare presented by the host. Or hostess."

Duo snorted and started down the hall towards his door. The seventh day of Christmas had opened up to a sunny day. Duo wasn't in much of a mood to enjoy it, however. He and Wufei, and Heero, who had left them a few landings before for his own floor, were all tired from traveling from Sanq in the middle of the night for a mission. Their tuxedos were ruined, they were tired and dirty, and Duo wasn't brightened much by seeing the envelope taped to his door.

Wufei, shuffling behind him, also came to a stop as Duo took the envelope down and opened it. He simply held the sides of the top apart and looked inside, then turned to Wufei with a tired smile and handed the envelope over. "Free tonight?"

Duo waited as Wufei took the envelope and carefully pulled out the tickets within, fingers just barely touching the corners. There was another pause while Wufei frowned and looked closer, then realization seemed to sink in and he looked at Duo with a perplexed look. "You like the ballet?"

_____*****_____

Wufei was glad to accompany Duo to a performance of _Swan Lake_. The mission the night before had come as Relena's party was ending, making it a late enough evening. Added to the mission debriefing and the speed with which they were required to act, and Wufei would have expected to drop into bed and slumber quickly. Instead, he stayed up for several hours struggling with his acceptance of Duo's offer to the ballet and wondering if there was a way he could compete with someone who had the connections and wealth Duo's admirer did.

He gave up on sleep sometime around noon and made himself some tea. The coffee would wait until later, when he needed it to keep him awake. At least the following day was his day off. He could sleep after the ballet and not have to worry about getting up early in the morning for his shift.

As water boiled on the stove, he tried to finish reading the book Duo had interrupted two days before, but his focus was almost entirely on Duo and the present situation. He was jealous of a person he didn't know, but more than that, he was scared to lose Duo in any capacity. Duo was the person closest to him, not just in proximity but also emotionally. During the war, they had been little more than allies the few times Wufei had accepted help from any of the others. Only towards the end of the war had he started to open up to any of them, and in turn, had started to see them for who they were. 

Then things events had transpired beyond their control, Merimaia and Dekim Barton rose to power, and Wufei made choices he would always second-guess. Now, with the both of them working together and the past seemingly far behind them, other than their use of their training for Preventor matters, Wufei could almost imagine he and Duo had been friends, or at the least on the edge of friendship, since the very beginning of their acquaintance. 

He might lose all that if Duo's admirer managed to gain his affections. Duo would undoubtedly move closer to a lover when he had one. He was the type of person who would put his all into that relationship first, and while Duo would never neglect his friends completely, the majority of the time he now spent with Wufei would then be spent with his lover, instead.

That brought Wufei back to envy, and the cycle of thought repeated over, with him trying to rationalize his feelings and failing at every turn because when it came to love, rationality was a commodity no man had. 

His thoughts were making his stomach queasy and his head ache.

_____*****_____

Duo was impressed with the ballet. Having never been to one before, his entire knowledge of ballet had been that girls wore funny skirts and danced on their toes, and men danced in tight tights. Afterwards, though he wouldn't be able to recall every song and move, he would take with him the impression of grace and romance that followed many fans of the ballet. They had both been silent during the performance, Duo enthralled by the new experience, the music, the dancing. Wufei had sat beside Duo, a silent and equally concentrated member of the audience. His awe was not so complete as Duo's, but there was a definite edge of appreciation in his gaze as they watched the stage and listened to the orchestra.

Afterwards, as they hailed a taxi back to their apartments, Duo spoke excitedly of the parts he did remember and of the intricacies of plot he hadn't realized would be so well expressed through the dancing. Wufei was quiet for the most part, making occasional agreements or comments, but Duo could tell he was tired and on the edge of napping. Several minutes yet from their apartments, Duo lowered his voice and talked quieter, his voice taking on a mellowed edge that allowed Wufei to rest. By the time they were only a few miles from the barracks, Wufei was asleep on his side of the taxi and Duo was watching him as best he could by the illumination of the occasional streetlight.

At the building, Duo got out before gently shaking Wufei's shoulders. Bordering on exhaustion, Wufei allowed Duo to support his weight as they walked inside and to the elevator, his arm around Duo's neck -- put there by Duo -- and his side flush with Duo's side, from armpit to hip.

"Did you sleep at all, Wu?" Duo asked, his hand on Wufei's far hip to hold him closer, making it easier for him to support his friend.

Wufei gave a small sigh and struggled to stand on his own, but Duo refused to relinquish the hold he had on the chinese teen. After a moment, in which Wufei's struggling was as much with his own body as with Duo, he settled back against Duo's side and answered the question. "Yes."

Duo smiled a little at that. The elevator doors opened and he focused on getting them both into the little box before continuing their conversation, such as it was. "Yes, you got some sleep. But not a lot, right?"

"No," this time, Wufei didn't even bother trying to get out of the question. Instead, as if signaling his defeat, he sagged against Duo even more and rested his head on Duo's shoulder. It was a little awkward, with both of their coats in the way, but Duo had to smile at the move anyway. He tilted his own head and rested it on Wufei's hair.

"Poor Wu-baby. How about we get you into bed, hm?" Duo's tone was a level above patronizing, but still very close to it. 

"Maxwell, don't mock me." There was enough snarl in Wufei's voice, Duo knew he was treading thin ice. Duo made a face at the metal plating covering the interior side of the elevator doors. "Duo, the doors are steel. I can see you."

"Wufei, I'm not blind. The doors are steel and I can see you, too." He made another face to illustrate his point, crossing his eyes at their reflections.

Wufei gave a soft chuckle. "You're like a child. Annoying most of the time, but too cute to scold."

Duo laughed and wrapped his arm more firmly around Wufei, turning it into a one-armed embrace. "I always knew you loved me, Wu."

There was another laugh-like sound, but there was no verbal response from Wufei. The elevators opened on their floor and they shuffled into the hall. Wufei's apartment was closer, and he managed to get his key out while they walked. It was Duo who opened the door, though, after Wufei had tried to squint in the general direction of the knob.

"Have you slept at _all_ in the past week?" Duo asked, more than a little worried by the way Wufei was acting. A sleepless night Duo could understand and sympathize with. Duo knew how tiring those were, especially when you were physically active nearly the entire day. Missing a single night's sleep shouldn't have put Wufei in the condition he was in.

_____*****_____

_January 1st_

"Influenza," Sally said softly, putting her medical supplies back in her bag. Duo frowned and looked at the door to Wufei's bedroom. "He'll be okay. It's just a bug, one strong enough to make him sick and weak, but not enough to kill him. He hasn't been sleeping right, and exhaustion coupled with over-exposure to the cold on yesterday's mission has served towear his immune system down."

Duo bit his lip, feeling oddly guilty that he and Wufei had gone through the same mission, and he had no ill effects. "How long will he be down?"

"I'm not quite sure," Sally answered, shrugging into her coat. "He's strong and determined, so it most likely won't take him long to recover. I'll give Une my report and my recommendation to exempt him from duty. It will be good for a week, and I'll force him to have a physical before I release him back to work. I'm going to go ahead and give you a similar exemption for the next couple of days so you can look over him." She paused and gave Duo a sideways look. "If that's acceptable?"

"It's fine," Duo was quick to assure her. "He's too stubborn to call anyone for help, so I'll just stay here until he's actually better. No sense letting him try to say he's not sick before he's actually over it."

"Good," Sally said approvingly. She grinned at Duo. "The trick to dealing with a stubborn patient is finding a nurse who's equally stubborn."

Duo saluted her, bringing his heels together sharply. "I'm your man, doctor." He dropped the pose as quickly as he had taken it and looked at her seriously. "What do I do?"

She handed him a pill bottle. "Make him take three of those a day and drink a lot of water. I mean a _lot_. He needs to flush the toxins out of his body. At the same time, you need to make sure he's eating good, so his body has the nutrients it needs to fight back on its own."

"Good nutrition is your remedy?" Duo questioned, giving her a skeptical glance.

"Good nutrition is the remedy to a great many things," she answered glibly, picking up her bag and heading to the door. Duo moved ahead of her quickly and opened the door for her.

"Thanks, Sal. Happy New Year," he said sincerely. She smiled at him, returned the wish, waved, and was gone. Duo shut the door behind her and went to check on Wufei.

_____*****_____

"I'm not sick," Wufei growled, trying to push the covers down. Sitting on the bed beside him and holding the blankets determinedly in place, Duo rolled his eyes.

"Sure, Wu. You're not sick. You're perfectly healthy, we can tell." The sarcasm seemed lost on Wufei; he kept up his struggles to get out of bed. It wouldn't have been so bad if he'd promised to accept Duo's offer of help while moving around, but the persistent bastard was determined to do everything on his own, despite the fact that he'd been in bed only twelve hours and was still oddly weak. Duo hadn't heard from Sally yet if that was normal for a simple flu, but he was glad he hadn't fallen ill along with Wufei. He could imagine the both of them struggling like idiots in separate apartments.

"Maxwell-" Wufei started.

Fed up, Duo let go of the blankets and instead pushed on Wufei's chest to hold him down. He shifted as he did so, until he was sitting over his friend, their faces close together. "Chang, you scared the shit out of me last night. You're going to stay in your damn bed until you're actually better, and the only way you're getting _out_ of bed is if you let me help. I'm not going to let your stubbornness lead to some accident that's going to leave you bleeding just so I have another thing to worry about. Got it?"

One of Wufei's hands came up and fisted in Duo's shirt, pulling him just a little closer. "Maxwell, I'm not an invalid or a child. I can get up on my own and you're going to let me, or I'm going to leave _you_ bleeding just so I can go to the damn bathroom by myself. Got it?"

What was it Sally had said? Duo wondered. A nurse as stubborn as the patient? He hadn't quite expected Wufei to be such an idiot about being unwell. Time for a new tactic. Duo leaned closer, until his forehead was pressed against Wufei's. "Please, Wufei." Duo's expression softened, until his worry was showing in his face. "Let me help."

There was a hesitation, but then Duo's change in attitude seemed to trigger a similar one in Wufei's attitude. "Fine. But damn it, Maxwell, you're leaving me in the bathroom to deal with it by myself."

Duo smiled, making sure to keep it toned down from the victorious grin that was threatening. "Whatever you want, Wufei."

_____*****_____

Wufei wasn't sick enough to forget himself entirely. He attempted to ask Duo a couple of times if the eighth gift had arrived, but there was never an answer. Around nine that night, Duo said he had to go back to his apartment for something, but would be right back. Before Wufei could tell him he could just stay there, he would be fine, Duo was gone.

A few minutes later, the door opened and closed again, and Wufei saw Duo pass by the door with something in his hands. He couldn't tell what it was, however. He went back to his reading when Duo didn't immediately come back into the bedroom. Some twenty minutes later, Duo again walked in front of the door. Then he was coming into the room, a tub in his hands. On the normally plain white container, cows and stick people -- girls if the triangles on their lower half were skirts -- had been drawn on in marker. In Duo's other hand, he carried two bowls and two spoons.

"Ice cream?" Wufei guessed. He recognized the tub. Duo often bought ice cream in the same sort of container. It was one of his favorite treats in the summer, when it was hot. Wufei wasn't normally one to indulge, as it wasn't a real food, but he wasn't about to argue with Duo. The brunet looked pleased with his little present, as he sat down in the chair he had pulled into the room and set the bowls and spoons on the edge of the bed.

"Of course," Duo confirmed what Wufei had figured. "How many scoops?" he pulled the lid off and picked up the first bowl and spoon.

"I do not care. Just a few, please." Wufei hated being any kind of sick, but whatever had brought him down this time, whatever type of poison it was, he hoped never to hear of it again. He couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten so weak so quickly, and his need for assistance was embarrassing. He wouldn't have wanted anyone to see him in such a condition, but at least it was Duo. After nearly dying with the other teen multiple times, there wasn't as much shame as he might have been burdened with had it been someone else. The only other person he would have rather watch over him was Trowa, but that was only because Trowa had seen Wufei at his very lowest. 

"Okay," Duo said in response to Wufei's request. He spooned some into the bowl and then passed it on to Wufei, who was grateful to note there wasn't very much in the bowl. It wouldn't take him too long to eat it. He was three bites into it when he happened to catch sight of the pile of ice cream in Duo's own bowl. "I was hungry," Duo said defensively, when he saw where Wufei's gaze was concentrated.

"I'm sure." Duo would have tried to pout, Wufei knew, but the teen's mouth was full of ice cream and the best he could manage was a wide-eyed look of hurt. The look was ruined, however, by the ice cream dribbling down his chin and the insistent tugging at one corner of his mouth. Wufei sat up a little, just enough to lean forward and wipe up a drip of ice cream at the corner of Duo's mouth. "You need a bib."

"Who needs a bib when they have Mother Wu to clean their chin," Duo teased back, most of the ice cream in his mouth swallowed. He already had a spoonful ready for reload.

Wufei smiled and wiped the liquidy drop on Duo's cheek. "Whose Mother is whom, Duo, since it is _you_ playing nursemaid. I believe it's Mother Duo."

Duo stuck his tongue out at him, spoon lowering towards the bowl, still full of ice cream. "I'm only going to let you get away with that because you're sick."

"Which reminds me," Wufei started. "Where's the eighth gift?"

The grin on Duo's face widened at the complete non-sequiter of Wufei's comment. He let it slide, though. "This is it, Wu." He handed his bowl to Wufei. "Eat up and don't let it melt, hm? Papa Wu. I'm going to get myself some more." He turned and jogged out the door before Wufei could send a rejoinder after him. 

"Papa Wu." Wufei snorted, but couldn't stop a silly smile from slipping across his face for a moment. He waited until Duo joined him again. "Were the geese really your only gift two days ago?"

Duo blinked, looking up from his bowl. Wufei made note that Duo had used three bowls total for just the two of them. It wasn't important. Just something he could possibly tease him about later. "Yeah, that was it. Why?"

"Just wondering." Wufei shrugged casually, but inside, he was trying to figure out how the dinner arrangement at a large party, one which Duo was merely attending as a favor to Relena, could constitute a gift. Also, amidst all the gifts, Wufei could not imagine a simple container of ice cream being given by the same person who gave Duo tickets to the ballet and live birds.

_____*****_____

_January 2nd_

Wufei watched, amused, as Duo struggled to fit his arms behind the television stand to plug in the wires to the video player. It would have been easier if the 'standard issue' stand and television hadn't been bolted to the floor.

"Wouldn't it have just been easier for us to go to your apartment if you're so determined for us to watch this video?" Wufei asked. Duo turned his head away from his work long enough to stick his tongue out at Wufei. He resumed playing with the cables, leaving Wufei to amuse himself on the couch.

The 'ninth day of Christmas' had passed relatively quickly. The day before, Wufei had been sick enough that the time had dragged on while he struggled against the influenza. As Duo talked about the movie they would be watching, he felt a lot better, as much of it seemed to have been purged. Duo still refused to let him get up more than he thought necessary. He was allowed to walk by himself, however, and Wufei put it in his mind as a compromise. He got Duo's company and attention, and he only had to sit down and let Duo fetch him things, touch him, sit with him. Wufei was pretty sure he was getting the better deal.

"Got it!" Duo crowed triumphantly, getting to his feet. He grinned at Wufei. "See. Told you it wouldn't take any time at all to hook it up." The standard televisions, the same ones bound to the floor, came with no accessories, including no cables to hook up to feed access. The only thing Wufei had seen previously when he turned the appliance on had been snow. Duo hadn't seemed satisfied with that, since he himself had hooked his own television up to numerous devices. His, oddly, had been missed when all the others in the buildings had been nailed to the floor. He hadn't had to struggle with just his hands to guide him as he had with Wufei's television.

The player hooked up, Duo moved to get the movie he had gotten for the occasion. Wufei had asked what Duo had received for the day, and a movie had been dropped into his lap. By the fact that there was no presentation with this one, and that it seemed hardly likely the same person to give Duo ballet tickets also gave him a cheap film, Wufei figured Duo had improvised so they could 'share.'

It hit him hard, the knowledge Duo had chosen to ignore the gift he'd been given just to watch movies with Wufei. He could have amused himself well enough with a book, and he was obviously well enough to be out of bed. There was no reason for Duo to stay there with him until night came. No reason other than Duo seemed to want Wufei's company. The mingled relief and happiness felt odd, but lighter than the jealousy and resentment. Wufei smiled as Duo pushed the power button on the player. He couldn't resist heckling him, at least a little.

"What was my choice again?" Wufei drawled the words out, lacing them with a fair amount of teasing as Duo loaded the player. "A dance recital away from this stuffy apartment, or a movie with your feet in my lap and popcorn to clean up later?"

Duo finished with the player, turned on the television, and then sat down heavily next to Wufei. He turned his body so his head was in Wufei's lap. "How's this, then? And no popcorn. There's nothing nutritious about butter and corn."

"This wasn't quite what I was going for," Wufei said softly, smiling down at Duo.

"Sh," Duo said back, holding Wufei's gaze for a moment more before turning onto his side. "Watch the movie."


	5. Part Four: 8323 Words

_January 3rd_

"On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... ten lords a'leapin'," Duo sang softly. Outside his office, he could hear the last word echoed by at least half a dozen people. He smiled slightly. He had always thought the Christmas season ended on the twenty-fifth of December, but it seemed the festivities were going on until the "Twelve Days of Christmas" were well and truly over. Only two days away, and he was already insatiably curious about what the last gift would be. Quatre had kept it to himself with only the hint that it would be something suitable for the occasion.

Meanwhile, Duo had been forced back to work, since Wufei was undoubtedly better. Sally had actually agreed to let Wufei come back to work the next day, as well. Duo had thought Heero's immune system was something, but it seemed Wufei was competing with him for who could stay sick the shortest time. Heero had also managed to come down sick that week, though Duo hadn't seem him since Relena's party to ask him how that had happened. When Duo had seen him, it had been from a distance as Quatre had been urging him out the door at Sally's request. He had looked terribly tired and drawn, and Duo was glad Quatre had managed to get him to accept time off.

His attention turned to the two boxes on his desk. He still had the rings for Heero and Trowa, as well as the two with "02" and "05" on them. He had been waiting to give them to his friends. Quatre was wearing his, since Duo had given it to him on the twenty-ninth. his main concern had been Wufei seeing the rings he would give to the other two and wondering where his and Duo's were. Quatre had kept his out of sight when he was in the office and around Wufei, but Duo wouldn't be able to explain it to the other two without giving away more than he wanted.

It was no matter, though. There were only two more days and Wufei wasn't likely to notice. He would be too busy getting back into the grind of work and catching up on all of the paperwork he'd missed.

"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."

_____*****_____

"We are going where?" Wufei asked as Duo drove them away from the apartment building. He'd been convinced to dress nicely for the evening with the promise of good food. Wufei assumed it was the tenth gift. He wasn't quite sure how dinner fit in to ten lords a'leapin', but if anyone could figure it out, it would be the person giving Duo gifts.

Or Duo himself. Wufei discarded that thought quickly. From the beginning, Duo had been clueless about the person sending him gifts. There was no reason for Wufei to give in to his hopeful thinking and conjure elaborate, Duo-created plots. Duo hadn't a clue on the first day who had given him the pear. And his reaction to the hens had been too real, his concern tangible when he had worried about a bomb being in the cooler. The rings...

Actually, the fifth day had seen a change in Duo's attitude. He hadn't been against the gifts, had seemed rather pleased by them, at first. It was after the fifth day Duo had seemed excited by the prospect again, as if he knew who it was. Wufei thought about that for a moment, recalling how Duo had stopped by only briefly, asked him to try on a ring, and then gone again, nearly bouncing away in his excitement. The ring... it had had an emerald and the numbers '05' on it.

Nataku. A ring meant for Wufei? Or, he thought suddenly, eyes widening as he stared out through the windshield, a ring Duo thought was meant for Duo _from_ Wufei. Duo's apparent happiness at receiving that would- but no. If Duo had thought it was Wufei, he wouldn't have disappeared so quickly after making the discovery. There had to have been something else.

It was possible the ring had nothing to do with it. Duo had never shared what he had received on the fifth day of Christmas. All Wufei knew was it had been on that day things had changed. Duo had changed. He had been happy about finding the six geese at the party. The tickets on the door hadn't seemed like much of a surprise, either. The dance recital... the one they had missed, the one Duo had shrugged off as if it was unimportant. It seemed too disconnected. His attitude, from Wufei's point of view, was inconsistent with that of a man receiving gifts from someone he might possibly want date.

Which brought Wufei back to the odd, suspicious feeling Duo knew more than he was letting on. As Duo gave him a secretive smile in answer to Wufei's question of their destination, Wufei tried to recount all the things Duo had said about the gifts. Only one time had Duo made a claim about not knowing the person who had sent the gifts. Wufei frowned, trying to recall them as accurately as he could, but failed. The words were elusive. He had barely listened to them at the time, other than to ascertain Duo had yet to figure out who was sending him gifts. Now Wufei wished he'd paid better attention.

He allowed that train of thought to play out anyway. To think Duo _was_ possibly the person behind the gifts. The recipient, then, would have to be Wufei. He smiled to think he'd been Duo's unwitting receiver the entire time.

The car slowed down, alerting Wufei they were near to where they were going. The building was rather large, with a high, domed ceiling. They pulled up to a valet and both stepped out of the car. Duo turned the keys over to the uniformed man, and then moved to Wufei's side. "Ready for a great dinner?"

Wufei raised an eyebrow at him. "In what way is dinner connected to the tenth day of Christmas?"

Duo looked blank for a moment, then shrugged. "I guess we're about to find out." He winked at Wufei and stepped towards the door. Wufei followed, eyes resting thoughtfully on Duo's back.

_____*****_____

The surprise on Wufei's face was when he made the connection to their dinner arrangements and ten leaping lords would live forever in Duo's mind. 

Where there was a carpet under their feet, the area in the middle of the dining room was uncovered wood, waxed until it shone. They both glanced at it as they were seated next to it, Duo close enough he could reach out and touch his foot to the wood.

Their waiter spoke with an accent that was oddly familiar. It was as he was pouring their drinks, two glasses of sparking, non-alcoholic cider, that Wufei placed it as Russian. As they ordered dinner, Duo looked around and realized everyone seemed to have arrived at similar times. All the people at the tables he can see were either having the initial course set before them, or a waiter was taking the order of the table's occupants. He wondered at that, looking around with narrow eyes before Wufei tapped him under the table and gave him a questioning look.

It brought Duo's mind back to where they were and why they were there. Quatre wouldn't have made the reservation for them if there had been any danger involved. They were as safe as they could be, Duo reminded himself. It was his duty to make sure they both relaxed and had a good time. He let his body relax and his expression cleared into a smile. "Nice place, isn't it?" 

Wufei smiled in return and nodded. "It is. How did you hear about this place?"

"I didn't. The reservation was made by the same person who gave me a pear over a week ago, and the same person who sent two doves, three Cornish hens, four birds on an antique clock, five rings, arranged for six geese at a party, gave me tickets to _Swan Lake_ and to a dance recital."

Duo looked at Wufei smugly as he waited for a response to that. It surprised him when Wufei leaned closer to answer. "The ice cream you served to me. You just painted the container, then? It wasn't the original gift, was it?" Duo tried not to look guilty at being caught, but he could see Wufei's eyes narrow. "And instead of going to the recital with someone else, you just wasted two tickets to stay in with me while I was sick?"

"Ah," Duo grinned nervously. "Yes?"

"Duo, do you know who sent you the gifts?"

Duo bit his lip. He didn't want to give away Quatre's involvement, because that would force him to clarify _why_ Quatre was sending Duo the presents. At the same time, he couldn't lie and say he didn't know, and Wufei would press for a more elaborate answer than just 'yes.' "I know who sent them," he finally answered. "But I can't tell you who it is without embarrassing him, Wu." Wufei wouldn't be able to press without invading the giver's right to privacy.

Wufei drew back for a moment, eyes narrowed, and finally asked, "Did you buy them, Duo?"

Surprised by the question, not quite sure how Wufei could think he would be able to afford such a thing, Duo shook his head. "No."

Wufei seemed to hesitate, then he nodded. Anything he was likely to say was interrupted by the untimely arrival of the waiter. Their drinks and appetizers were placed in front of them, and then he left again. After the waiter was gone, a silence settled between them. Duo kept smiling, just a small tilting of his lips as he ate his appetizer plate slowly. He wasn't quite sure what he'd ordered, but it tasted good. A little salty and saucy, but good. He'd have to remember to ask the waiter before they left.

Across the table, Wufei was also picking at the salad he had ordered. He seemed comfortable, rather relaxed, but the quiet was unnerving to Duo. They could normally find something to talk about, even if it was a generalized rundown of their day.

_____*****_____

Wufei tried to relax as they ate their dinner. He'd been disappointed to know Duo hadn't purchased the items and now he felt stupid and sick. Duo knew who was sending the gifts, knew the person responsible for them. If he'd wanted to reject his suitor, he would have turned down the gifts. The fact he had accepted them was a slap in the face to Wufei, who saw that acceptance as something deeper. Duo was accepting the courting, was going along with it. It meant he returned the other man's feelings in some way.

He wasn't entirely sure where that made him stand, but Wufei knew he was most likely going to be standing by in two days as witness to Duo's acceptance of the final gift. He would have to watch his friend walk into the arms of another man. Unless he did something about it.

Wufei's contemplation was cut short as the lights suddenly dimmed around the exterior of the room, leaving only the floor in the center well-lit. A man's voice came over speakers set into the ceiling, the tone excited but contained as he announced that the evening's entertainment was about to begin.

Duo sat straighter in his seat, turning a little so he could see better. Wufei watched his expression as six men dressed in a Russian costume came out and lined up in the middle of the floor. He startled a little as the music started, coming from around them through the speakers. When the dancing started, his focus was taken up by the dancers and he was only partially aware of Duo's excited reaction.

_____*****_____

"That was great!" Duo's excitement could not be contained. He grabbed Wufei's arm and squeezed it as he laughed. "That was even better than the ballet. I've never seen anyone kick his legs up that high!" He laughed and let go of Wufei only long enough to do an imitation of one of the dancers. Around them, other attendees of the dinner were exciting the restaurant and giving them odd looks, but Duo was too lost in his recollection and Wufei was only too happy to listen to him extol the virtues of the Russian dance. "And they were all so big! In the war, if the big guys had been able to move like that, we would have gotten our asses kicked."

That caused Wufei to smile. "Duo, some of them _did_ move like that, if you failed to notice. Just that most of the time, they were on the ground shooting at our gundams, or running from them."

"There's that, too," Duo agreed. He stepped back to Wufei's side and pressed against his arm. "It was great, wasn't it? That's by far the best present so far. Did you have fun, Wu?"

His face was upturned to the Chinese teen. Wufei had to look down to look into Duo's face because of the way he was turned against him. "Yes, I had fun, Duo. Thank you for including me."

Duo grinned and rested his head on Wufei's shoulder for a moment, still pressed close to his side. It was the closest they'd ever been to any kind of embrace, and Wufei was surprised for a moment, his stupification only added to further when Duo said quietly, "There's no one else I'd rather drag with me." Though teasing, the words held a serious message Wufei couldn't ignore.

"Duo," he started, shifting to look at Duo and dislodging him at the same time. He was interrupted by the sudden sound of his cell phone. As he bit back a growl of frustration, he heard Duo's phone begin to ring as well. Their eyes met, mutual looks of annoyance in their gazes as they each moved to answer them. "Chang."

"Maxwell." Duo took a few steps away to give them each privacy. They finished the call at almost the same time and looked at each other grimly. "Time for work again." Gone was the happy look on his face. Wufei couldn't even find a trace of it in his gaze, and he wondered at that as they moved to Duo's car. He spent the car ride to the Preventors' building watching the side of Duo's face and hoping to see some return of the mirth they'd been sharing, but Duo remained closed off.

_____*****_____

_January 4th_

"Eleventh day of Christmas." Duo sat glumly at his disk, feet on the floor and his hands in his lap. He was tired, exceptionally so, not only in body but also in his mind. It had been a long, grim night. He and Wufei, along with a special unit, had been detached to a school to locate and disable a bomb. School wouldn't resume for another week, so they hadn't had to worry about getting done in time for class the following day, but it was grim either way. The bomb, at least the first one, had only been found on accident. If not for a janitor's clumsiness, it might never have been found and simply would have exploded a week later. While school was in session.

Despite the fact Duo had enjoyed the dancing even more than he had the ballet, the night would be forever ruined in his mind. His twelve days of Christmas were turning out far different than he had hoped after his talk to Quatre on the 'fifth day.' 

The closer they seemed to get, the second he thought Wufei might return his interest, something seemed to go wrong. Or as in the case of last night, Wufei pulled away.

Things weren't going as he had planned, not by any measure. Two gifts left to give.

He startled when a mug appeared on the surface in front of him. His eyes flashed quickly up to look into Wufei's face. The Chinese teen wasn't smiling, but neither did he look anything other than tired. "You look like you could use that."

"Thanks." Duo reached out and picked up the hot piece of ceramic. He had picked it up before he realized it was Wufei's mug. He smiled and looked at Wufei again, but his friend was looking at a file on Duo's desk, his pose purposely casual. Instead of making a comment, Duo took a sip. He couldn't contain his laugh as he realized there was not coffee or tea in the mug, but hot cocoa. He set the mug down and put his elbows on the desk. "You okay?"

Dark eyes glanced his way, met his gaze, and held. "Are you?" 

Duo smiled tiredly. "We got the bomb, which is the important thing. There are teams looking over the rest of the building and all the other schools. Then they'll find the sick bastard behind it all and it will be over. Back to life as normal."

"Normal, as in bomb threats in office buildings instead and rampant lunatics bent on taking down the major politics in the world? That is most definitely something to which we can look forward."

Sarcasm wasn't usually Wufei's style. Duo put his hand on Wufei's arm. "Any chance Une's going to let us out of here early?" They were both tired and could do with a rest.

A sound in the doorway drew their attention. Une looked at them, eyes narrowed as she studied them. "Chang, Maxwell. You look like hell. Relieve yourselves from duty and report again on the sixth. I don't want to see either of you until then." She turned and left without dismissing them. Duo started to smile as he looked at Wufei. He had to grin at the sight of Wufei standing at half-attention, ready to salute their departed commanding officer. Sometimes, training went deeper than the uniform.

"At ease," Duo commanded. 

Wufei looked at him for a moment, then broke into an answering smile. "Yes, sir." He seemed to hesitate for a moment, to waver in his stance by the desk. Then he slowly leaned against Duo's desk. Normally, he didn't linger at all in any office other than his own, and Duo took it as a good sign that Wufei wasn't in any hurry to leave. Curiosity lighted in Wufei's eyes. "Did you receive a gift yet this morning?"

In answer, Duo put his left hand up by his shoulder and wielded an imaginary bow in his right hand. "How does a symphony sound to you?"

Wufei considered for a moment, then nodded. "Sounds like a fine evening's entertainment."

Duo grinned and reached into the top drawer of his desk. He pulled out an elaborately decorated envelope. "The only condition is that you _have_ to take me with you."

The answering look he got was warm and teasing. "I guess if I am to accept the prize I must also accept the punishment. I will bear your company tonight." He paused and shifted closer, his hand on the edge of the desk giving him balance as he leaned over Duo. "On one condition."

Taking the bait, Duo also moved, until his face was close enough to Wufei's he could feel the other teen's breath fanning across the bridge of his nose. "And what is that?"

"The condition stipulates that you will treat me to your company on the fifth at breakfast. Everything else shall be provided."

Duo couldn't help the elated grin that broke out. "Deal!" Their proximity and the request for his presence almost went to his head and he caught himself pushing up out of his chair, his head tilted to the side... his lips dangerously close to Wufei's mouth. However, he did realize quick enough to stop himself. A trembling breath flew past his lips and his eyes stared into black irises. Duo licked his lips and his eyes half-closed as he imagined Wufei being close enough he could flick his tongue against Wufei's mouth with the same movement. "Breakfast, tomorrow."

Wufei was as still as Duo, neither moving for several moments either apart or to bridge the gap between them. Finally, with something like disappointment flashing in his eyes, Wufei pulled back. "I'll see you later. After we both have a chance to clean up and rest."

"Right." Duo forced a grin as he slumped back in his chair as casually as he could. "I'll see you tonight."

_____*****_____

They had balcony seats for the symphony. For Duo, that fact alone would have spelled out Quatre's involvement. He wasn't entirely certain Wufei hadn't figured it out yet. Duo was curious to know what the alternative would be in Wufei's mind if he'd reached the incorrect answer. He didn't dare ask, however, or Wufei might get suspicious. Duo wasn't sure yet if he wanted Wufei to guess before the end of the twelfth day, or if he wanted a chance to make his declaration first.

Duo settled back against the padded chair, trying to get a little more comfortable. He appreciated the effort Quatre had obviously put into the gifts, but the symphony would not rank high among Duo's favorites. The Russian dancers had been exciting, and the ballet had been fascinating in its novelty, but Duo wasn't really the kind to enjoy sitting still for long periods of time. It reminded him too much of forced detainment, even despite the lavish surroundings and the company. There were things he'd rather be doing, _moving_ being one of them.

He shifted again, trying to be inconspicuous about it. Wufei seemed absorbed in the music, dark eyes scanning the musicians slowly through the theatre binoculars provided in the balcony. Duo had a set of his own, but he could only look at people so long through them before it reminded him of spying, and his mind began to create fictitious stories behind the violinist with the red hair (a rich man's mistress, with an eye for his wallet and a death wish for his wife,) or the cellist (a diamond thief using the symphony as a cover to get in and out of countries unnoticed.)

It helped his mood a little and kept him amused, but over-all, the music wasn't to his taste and there really wasn't anything to see. He uncrossed his legs, but stilled before putting both feet on the floor. Wufei had turned his head and was regarding him steadily.

"Would you like to leave?" Wufei asked, voice lowered in consideration of the people ten feet over, ensconced in their own balcony.

"You're having fun," Duo avoided answering the question directly. "I'm entertained." A half-truth, since most of Duo's amusement came from his own imagination.

Wufei raised an eyebrow, obviously not buying the act. Duo thought about looking away, but Wufei tilted his head and gave Duo a half-smile. "I would be more entertained myself by listening to such music in the privacy of my apartment. I am not one for crowds, however distant, and I find myself with a dislike for sharing the things I like with strangers."

Duo grinned back, feeling relieved. "You wanna ditch this, then?" He couldn't help the hopeful tone in his voice.

"I think that would be a grand plan," Wufei answered, moving to stand up. Duo bounced up out of his own chair and preceded Wufei to the door of the balcony. His hand was on the knob to open the door for Wufei, but slender fingers curled over his own and he froze in surprise at the contact long enough for Wufei to open the door for him. There was a hint of smugness as Wufei waved Duo through, and a hint of amusement as well.

_____*****_____

They ended up at a late-night café several miles from Preventor barracks. Duo had shed most of his tuxedo, keeping only the pants and shirt he needed to stay 'decently' dressed. Wufei was still wearing most of his, minus the bow tie. They both sat comfortably on opposite sides of a small table, Duo's stretched out legs running on either side of Wufei's right foot. Wufei's left foot was resting on his right knee, his left knee bent and jutting out to the side. The rest of the small café was empty, except for the server who had filled their mugs -- hot cocoa for both -- and a young couple who seemed to think sharing a mug meant sitting close together and giggling often.

The topic of conversation between Duo and Wufei had been introduced by the former. Duo was recounting a brief conversation he'd had with Quatre, leaving out important bits, during which Quatre had seemed almost lonely. "He said he wanted us, his friends," Duo waved a hand as if to make that a general statement, "To be happy. I think he's kind of lonely. He works more than any of us. I mean, can you imagine Quatre taking time off? He'd have to tell someone 'no' and he just doesn't do that."

"Winner is more than capable of dealing with the details of his own life, whether they be of a personal nature or business-related. If lonely, he would need only to find an appropriate companion. Of his many acquaintances, there must be at least one who has caught his eye. It would seem likely his affection would be returned, as he is well-liked and honorable."

Duo rolled his eyes. "Finding a companion's a lot harder than that. Not everyone's lucky enough to end up living three doors down from their best friend, right?"

Wufei couldn't stop the instinctual grinding of his teeth at Duo's example. "Best friends" had once upon a time been an admirable goal, a goal Duo had set on his own and managed to achieve. Duo was indeed the best friend Wufei had. However, the loneliness Duo talked of couldn't be assuaged with simple friendship. Wufei knew the longing Quatre might well have been experiencing.

Duo said something else and laughed, moving on. Wufei's attention was diverted as his brain began to finally make sense of the clues before him. He and Duo each knew a person who had the wealth to give extravagant gifts and the giving nature to offer them. He was one of the few people who knew Duo well enough to attempt to court him and also one of the few by which Duo might consider being courted. If Duo were attempting to let Wufei in on the secret, without stating it so plainly as to cause any sort of embarrassment to fall on Quatre should he find out the way in which Duo told, then a round-about conversation would make sense. To bring up Quatre's loneliness in relation to his own gifts-

"But I really think Trowa is the one," Duo continued as he turned in his chair to flag the waitress. Wufei's mind finally caught up with the conversation. "He and Quatre are about the closest you can get, and it wasn't until Trowa started getting friendly with Ms. Dotty Catalonia that Quatre got all withdrawn and edgy about relationships. Now he avoids Relena when she's stalking Heero, and I think it's because he's envious... not of her and Heero, but that there is such a depth of affection there, you know?"

Duo paused, waiting for an answer. Wufei frowned and tried to call to mind the words Duo had spoken while he was thinking of something else. He hesitated too long, however, and Duo straightened in his chair.

"You weren't listening to a single word I said, were you? What's going on in your brain that you actually managed to ignore _me_?" He wasn't offended by Wufei's obvious lack of attention, however. Wufei relaxed minutely while Duo continued teasing him. "I mean, any other day of the week and you listen long enough to tell me I thought too long about something other than work, but here you are, completely phasing out on me..."

Wufei couldn't help the affectionate smile that curved his lips, wasn't even aware of it until Duo trailed off.

"Hey, 'Fei?" Duo's voice softened as he leaned across the table. Wufei also leaned forward to show he was listening, lips curving purposely in a guilty smile so Duo would know he was trying to make up for his lack of attentiveness. "What do you think about the gifts?"

The smile dimmed and Wufei had to force his lips to still before they could tip downwards completely. The sudden loss of his good mood wasn't lost on Duo, however, as the braided teen frowned at him. He didn't move back, though, simply waited for Wufei's response. "I believe they are the gifts of someone with a great deal of affection for you."

Duo bit his lip and nodded slightly, moving slowly backwards to resettle himself on his chair. "Hm."

"Why?" Wufei asked his own question in turn, confused by the sudden turn in Duo's manner. A moment before, he'd been teasing and happy, then a few moments later, he was suddenly withdrawn and contemplative, neither of which were anything approaching 'normal' for Duo's personality. 

"I think I'm tired," Duo said suddenly, looking exactly that. Wufei considered pushing the issue, but there was an edge of exhaustion in Duo's voice he only heard after particularly bad missions. He bowed under his own guilt for somehow managing to destroy the jovial mood they'd started with and let the subject drop for the moment.

"Let's go home, then. We can talk tomorrow, as we both seem to have the day off." He said it pointedly to let Duo know they would discuss it later, but he wouldn't it push it then. Duo nodded and stood up, shrugging into the tuxedo jacket he'd discarded when they first sat down. Wufei stood up as well, checked to make sure his bow was still in his pocket, and followed Duo to the door after leaving payment for their drinks on the table.

_____*****_____

_January 5th_

Duo stumbled out of his bed sometime around six in the morning, threw on a pair of shorts, and made his way to the door. His hands fumbled with the lock for a moment before he managed to undo it, and then he threw open the door and glared at his visitor. "It's not even dawn yet," the angry growl he'd been trying for ended in a pitiful whine, and he sniffled in frustration.

Wufei looked at him for a moment, took in his bedraggled form and the Kleenex clutched in one hand, and pushed Duo back inside the apartment. "I never specified a time," he answered shortly, putting the back of his hand to Duo's forehead to take a rough measurement of his temperature. "You're not feverish yet."

Duo snorted, or made an attempt to. Something went wrong with the way he wrinkled his nose; his face froze for a moment, and then he was holding the ragged Kleenex to his nose as he sneezed. Once the tickling in his nose stopped, he glared at Wufei with bleary eyes. "This is all your fault."

"Yes," Wufei agreed amiably, taking the fight out of Duo with his quiet acceptance of blame. "And for that, I'll take a chance to repay the debt I owe you. Go back to bed and let me fetch-"

"I didn't do it so you'd owe me something." Duo's objection overrode Wufei's words easily. 

The chinese teen simply smiled. "Very well. Then as your best friend, I'll take care of you. Is that acceptable?"

Duo thought for a moment and then shook his head, much to Wufei's surprise. The dark eyes widened and Wufei simply stared at him for a moment. Duo sniffled again, swallowed what pride and reservations he had, and embraced Wufei, wrapping his arms around his friend and leaning against him just a tad more heavily than he'd originally meant to. "I'd like it a lot more if you'd do it as a boyfriend."

He really hadn't meant to sound so pathetic about it, and the childish quality to his tone was overdone, but Wufei didn't pull away or say anything for a long moment, and Duo had a few hopeful seconds to think, 'No reaction is better than a negative one.'

Then Wufei's arms came up and embraced him in return, and Wufei's voice was chiding him in his ear, "How much medication have you taken for this?"

"Not enough to impair me or remove all my inhibitions," Duo answered smartly, resting his cheek on Wufei's shoulder and sighing softly. "I didn't buy the gifts, but the person who did buy them didn't mean them for me. I was supposed to give them to _my_ true love... but I didn't realize it until halfway through and then I didn't know how to tell you without sounding stupid."

"Quatre purchased them," Wufei stated, arms tightening around Duo. Duo nodded, his cheek rubbing against the soft material of Wufei's shirt. "I had guessed as much, but- my assumption was not correct, given the actual recipient of the gifts."

"You'll translate that later, right?" Duo asked, closing his eyes as he sagged in Wufei's arms. "After you put me to bed and make me soup?"

Duo felt more than heard Wufei's sigh. "This is not exactly how I imagined wooing you from your suitor," Wufei informed him stoically, bracing his legs as he accepted the burden of Duo's weight. Duo giggled. It was supposed to be a chuckle, but he could always later blame the unsophisticated sound on being sick.

"You thought of wooing me?" The giggling stopped abruptly as he realized what exactly that meant. He pushed himself out of Wufei's arms, at least enough to brace his forearms on Wufei's shoulders and look Wufei in the eyes. "You _do_ love me."

Wufei nodded, as if that should have been apparent beforehand. "You have said so often enough-"

"Oh, don't even," Duo said, shaking his head. "You can't use my words against me like that. It's not fair. I'm sick and defenseless." He held up a hand suddenly, warding off whatever Wufei would have said in reply. "I have to go throw up. You wanna hold my hair or cook me food?" The words were said in a single breath, and then Duo was gone, running to the bathroom with his hand over his mouth.

_____*****_____

Quatre's image on the vid screen smiled. "I'd be more than happy to arrange it, Wufei," the blond said cheerfully.

"Thank you," Wufei said gratefully. He looked over his shoulder to ensure the door to Duo's bedroom was still shut, affording him minimal privacy in the small apartment. He had almost gone back to his own apartment to make the call, but he hadn't been able to convince himself to leave Duo for the span of even a single phone call, not when he kept thinking of Duo calling for him and receiving no answer.

"I'll send everything along in a few hours," Quatre said, shifting slightly. Wufei could see him lean forward, arm extended to end the call.

"Quatre," he said suddenly. The blond paused and looked at him through the screen patiently. "Thank you. For all you have done already."

Quatre paused, then leaned back and smiled wider. "I could have done nothing less than offer my assistance. He- he had once upon a time chosen a gift which demonstrated his affection for you better than the words I can offer you now, a gift which meant more than any birds or shows I could give the two of you to share together. What I could give was little in comparison, but if it has helped, if my efforts have somehow aided you both in finding each other this way, then please let them be a token of my esteem for the both of you."

"It is an honor to accept your friendship and to give you mine in return," Wufei said solemnly, offering Quatre a small bow.

"Good day, Wufei," Quatre said, reaching out and severing the connection without further ado. Wufei straightened, then pressed the power button on the vid screen, watching the light die on the two-dimensional screen.

_____*****_____

Wufei gingerly untied the bow on the box Duo had given him. He had asked only moments before about the gift Quatre had mentioned, curiosity getting the better of him. Duo had answered him by leaning over the side of the bed and drawing out the box he now held, offering no explanation as he had handed it to Wufei.

Duo shifted closer, until he was right against Wufei's side and leaning partially over him to look at the statue pieces better. "It was 'Maat.'" At Wufei's blank look, he smiled slightly. "She was an Egyptian goddess. She sat in Osiris and judged the dead, but she was also in charge of justice and truth." He reached in and gently drew out one of the larger pieces. "I meant to give her to you last year."

"Why didn't you?" Wufei questioned softly, turning his head to look at Duo. They were side by side on the bed, Duo's lap covered by the bedcovers.

Duo bit his lip and looked up at Wufei, not drawing back at all. "I thought I did. It wasn't until I found her in my desk a week before Christmas that I realized I'd messed up." He took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry, 'Fei. I really thought you just didn't care last year. And that really hurt because _I_ cared." He dropped any effort he'd been making to hide his emotions and the candid words that followed only served to illustrate how deeply he felt them. "I cared a lot and for a couple of months, I thought you'd broken my heart on purpose. It took me until almost March to remind myself that you're not that kind of guy. I kind of had to wait until the hurt faded, though."

Wufei looked at the broken pieces and felt oddly disappointed. Quatre had made it sound more important than an idolic statue, misplaced and broken.

"Your justice," Duo murmured, picking up an unidentifiable shard. "My truth," he added, voice lowering a notch. He coughed slightly and sniffled. He dropped the piece back in the box and leaned towards the nightstand to snag a couple of tissues before blowing his nose and making a sound of disgust as he dropped the used tissues in the waste basket beside the box. "I hate being sick."

Wufei smiled slightly and leaned in to press a kiss against his cheek. "It'll only last a few days at most." He moved to stand up, but Duo gripped his arm and pressed close, wrapping himself around Wufei's back.

"Say you love me," Duo entreated, giving Wufei a wide-eyed, pleading look.

"I love you," Wufei said in compliance, brushing Duo's bangs back gently. "Now rest. I'll bring you lunch in a moment."

Duo let Wufei go and wiggled on the bed until the blanket was up to his chin. "You're not just humoring me, are you 'Fei?"

The Chinese teen frowned as he tried to find words which would clear up any doubts Duo might have about his emotions. "I would be lacking in honor to lie to you about my affections, Duo." He took a step back and paused. "That, you should have known already."

"Sorry." There was more than sheepishness in Duo's gaze; there was a hint of shame. "I've only got one value I actually keep to, you know, and no moral code to speak of. You've got the best part of me in your hands." 

Wufei looked at the box he was holding, with the goddess of Truth and Justice inside, then back up at Duo. "I do not love your honesty, Duo. I love you, and each part that makes the whole of you. Your honesty is but a piece. A shard does not make a statue." He turned and left the room, leaving Duo to reflect on that as he would while Wufei prepared lunch.

_____*****_____

"Come on, Wu, what's the surprise?" Duo's impatience had him bouncing on the couch. He was cocooned in blankets, his legs resting on the coffee table as Wufei played with _something_, Duo wasn't quite sure. "Can I look yet?"

"No," Wufei answered calmly, voice coming from behind Duo now. The brunet hadn't heard him move.

Duo turned his head to the sound of Wufei's voice, but kept his eyes squeezed tightly shut. "What are you doing?"

"Stay still," Wufei said, patience wearing thin if the tightness of his voice could be believed. Duo grinned and shifted so his back was against the cushions and he was seated facing the far wall. 

"Yes, Wufei. Whatever you want, Wufei."

A warm breath wafted over Duo's ear a second before Wufei's voice whispered, "Why is it you only agree with me when you think you've gotten your way?"

Duo reached up and hooked his arm around Wufei's neck, holding him in place for a moment. "Because I love to torment you almost as much as I love you."

"I have noticed that," Wufei said dryly. He made no move to pull away, and instead rested his head on Duo's shoulder. "You may open your eyes now."

Duo did just that, violet orbs quickly scanning the room for changes. All he saw was the monitor for the vidscreen had been moved to the coffee table. He frowned as he realized it wasn't off. The coloring was odd and shimmery, as if- Just as the thought crossed his mind, the shimmering cover was dropped to reveal Quatre's smiling face. "I'm assuming that´s the cue, hm?"

"Yes," Wufei answered shortly. He brought his arms around Duo and held him loosely. "On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."

Quatre grinned and moved back from the camera, until Duo could see him from the waist up. He held a potted tree against his chest, the trunk going out over his right shoulder and pears visibly tied to the branches with gold ribbons.   
"A partridge in a pear tree," Quatre finished the line when Wufei trailed off. Duo giggled. He wasn't expecting the scene to change suddenly, as Trowa came into view holding a familiar gilded cage. 

"On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." Wufei's voice was melodic, hypnotic, but Duo was enraptured by the screen as Trowa opened the cage and the doves flew out.

"Two turtle doves..." Trowa's quiet voice could be heard from the speaker on the vid screen.

"And a partridge in a pear tree," Quatre finished from off-screen.

"On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."

Une stepped into view on the screen and Duo burst out laughing as she held up a familiar cooler. Duo hadn't even realized it was gone from his apartment. "Three Cornish hens..."

"Two turtle doves..."

"And a partridge in a pear tree."

Duo covered his face with his hands as Wufei began the fourth line. "On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."

"Four calling birds..." Sally stepped into view with the antique clock. 

"Three Cornish hens..."

"Two turtle doves..."

"And a partridge in a pear tree..."

"On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." Wufei reached into the cushions beside Duo and pulled out a white box. "Five golden rings." Duo took the top off quickly. An emerald winked up at him and he put the familiar ring on quickly, noticing only then Wufei had the ring with the black opal on his hand already. At nearly the same moment, three hands, three signets wrapping their ring fingers, flashed onto the screen, and Duo shook his head wonderingly as they worked their way back to the partridge in the pear tree.

"On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." Wufei seemed determined to go on, and Duo was having too much fun to put up any sort of resistance to the plan set before him.

"Six geese a'laying..." Whatever they were using as a camera was spun suddenly, to show Relena standing with six _live_ geese.

Wufei pressed a quick kiss to Duo's temple as Quatre finished his line again, before starting on the second half of the carol. "On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."

"Seven swans a'swimming... " Another pan of the camera, this one stopping on an image of Dorothy in the center of a circle of six ballerinas. She was wearing a tutu and tights.

Duo's side was hurting from the laughter, and he sat helplessly as Wufei sang on. "On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."

"Eight maids a'milking," Hilde sang, stepping in in a gingham dress and leading a cow.

"On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."

"Nine ladies dancing..." A man in a Nutcracker suit stepped into view, and only the long platinum hair made him distinguishable as Milliardo Peacecraft. He was followed by nine ballerinas who spun around him before spinning out of view.

Wufei's voice had gained confidence as the song went on, and now Duo was sure everyone on the other side of the screen could hear him properly. "On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."

"Ten lords a'leaping..." Heero stepped into view in a Russian costume, and dropped almost immediately to a low position as he kicked his legs up. Duo didn't even have a chance to wonder where he had learned to dance before he could hear each of his friends singing their individual lines.

"On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."

"Eleven pipers piping." Noin stepped into view, kicked her heels together, and brought a flute to her lips in a fluid motion. She provided the chorus music as they worked their way back down to the pear and the partridge.

"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." Wufei drew the last word out as he pulled one arm away. His hand reappeared a moment later with a pair of drumsticks.

Duo laughed. "Twelve drummers drumming..."

"Eleven piper's piping..." The view stayed with Noin as she backed towards the wall.

Heero high-kicked backwards until Milliardo appeared and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Ten lords a'leaping..."

"Nine ladies dancing..."

"Eight maids a'milking..." Hilde had left the cow behind to make her appearance, but Duo couldn't help but chuckle at her costume.

"Seven swans a'swimming..." Dorothy was without her dancing escort as she took the spot next to Hilde, making her stand close to Heero.

"Six geese a'laying..." Relena moved to Dorothy's other side, putting her on the end of that row. Duo guffawed when he saw her trying to shoo away a goose that had followed.

Wufei simply hugged him tighter as he sang his line. "Five golden rings..."

"Four calling birds..." Sally had put the clock down, but had managed to find a shirt with a picture of four birds on the front.

Une had also put her birds down before moving to stand next to Sally. They had moved to stand behind the younger woman. "Three Cornish hens..."

"Two turtle doves..." Trowa took the spot in the back, between Heero and Milliardo, where Duo could still see him clearly.

"And a partridge in a pear tree." Quatre stepped in front of them all and smiled. "What are you sharing with your true love on the twelfth day of Christmas, Duo?"

Duo grinned at them all as he laced his fingers through Wufei's. "I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you." There was laughter at that. "You guys are the absolute best, you know that? I will _so_ repay you for this!"

There were a couple of remarks to that, most of which consisted of wondering how Duo could possibly top that. After a few minutes, Quatre forced everyone to say goodbye and disconnected the call. Duo turned on the couch until he was laying on his back, looking up at Wufei. 

"I thought I was the joker?"

"Apparently you've managed to corrupt me."

Duo grinned wickedly and tugged on Wufei's hand. "Why don't you come around to this side of the couch and we'll see if I can't corrupt you a little more."

"Duo..." Wufei let Duo pull him around, but he held back. "You're sick."

Duo pouted. "Come on, Wu. Wouldn't you like to spend a couple of days sick in bed with me?"

Wufei shook his head. "Can you imagine the both of us coming down with this? We'd starve in bed and spend our last days yelling at each other for being stubborn idiots."

"But that's just how I want to spend the last days of my life!" Duo's protests succeeded only in getting Wufei to lay down with him, Wufei pinned between the cushions on the back of the couch and Duo's back, Duo laying dangerously close to the edge, with only Wufei's arms around him to keep him from falling onto the floor.

They lay that way for a while, quiet settling over the apartment. Duo listened to the sound of Wufei's breathing for a long while before he started humming without thinking. It wasn't until Wufei asked him what tune he was humming that Duo realized what he was doing.

Duo smirked and sang the words out loud. "Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree, for me. I've been an awful good girl. Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight."


End file.
